Chapter 1278

The mountain cave was deep and secluded, completely cut off from the outside world's clamor and the turmoil of laws. Han Wuxian sat cross-legged within, his form like a gray stone statue, only the faintly circulating chaotic aura around him indicating that earth-shaking changes were taking place inside him.

Devouring and refining that immense Starry Silence Power, and thoroughly fusing the Star Core Silence, is a process far more difficult and lengthy than imagined. This is not mere energy accumulation, but a reshaping and sublimation of the Dao.

In his Sea of Awareness, the "Heart Mirror" still hung high, but its form had changed. The mirror surface no longer merely reflected external objects; it seemed to have become an infinite chaotic void, within which star rivers flowed and perished, an absolute Silence region lay, and even a faint yet stubborn Devour vortex slowly rotated. These disparate Silence Extinction images in the chaotic void were not sharply separated but permeated and influenced each other, forming a dynamic and eerie "Ten Thousand Silence Landscape".

And what supports and carries all this is his newly formed "Foundation of Ten Thousand Silence" Dao Rhythm, a kind of eternal backdrop that seems to exist before all things and will persist after all things. It is formless and insubstantial, yet omnipresent, harmonizing the conflicts among different Silence Extinction forces, keeping a fragile, dynamic balance.

"Return to the Void… is not an endpoint, but a process, a state, and also… the foundation that bears all 'Silence'."

Han Wuxian's Dao Heart becomes ever clearer in this deep meditation. He realizes his previous understanding of "Return to the Void" was too narrow. The true "Return to the Void" should be all‑embracing, containing Ten Thousand Silence. The collapse of stars is Return to the Void, the stillness of laws is Return to the Void, and the Xu Jie Devour, in a sense, is also a twisted Return to the Void moving toward the ultimate "Nothing".

His mortal body is also undergoing a violent metamorphosis. Meridians, bones, viscera, even the tiniest cells are constantly breaking down and reconstituting under the Dao Power that fuses many Silence Extinction origins, becoming tougher and more capable of bearing this chaotic, mighty force. On the skin's surface, faint gray patterns resembling stellar veins occasionally appear, then vanish instantly.

Time passes in Silence, perhaps an instant, perhaps several years.

When Han Wuxian opened his eyes again, it seemed as if two gray bolts of lightning streaked through the cave, and all the phenomena immediately subsided. He appeared much the same as before, only his demeanor was more restrained and profound; as his eyes opened and closed, endless ages and Silence seemed to settle and cycle within them.

He gently clenched his fist, feeling the surging, chaotic gray new power within his body. This power carries the weight and finality of falling stars, the ethereality and law‑permeating nature of the Eye of Silence, and even a subtle, insidious "Corrosion" trait—not an active Devour, but one that can hasten all things toward their inherent end.

A slight thought flickered in his mind, and a strand of gray light rose from his fingertip. This gray light was no longer a single Silence Extinction attribute; it seemed to contain countless tiny star specks, Silent ripples, and faint Devour vortices, coexisting harmoniously, emitting a chilling aura that felt like confronting the ultimate destination of all things.

"This power… may be called 'Ten Thousand Silence Source Qi'." Han Wuxian named his newly born power. It is a brand‑new tier of power that fuses many Silence Extinction origins, derived from the Dao Rhythm of the "Foundation of Ten Thousand Silence".

He made a rough calculation and discovered that three years had already passed in the outside world during his seclusion!

"Three years… I wonder how Ten Thousand Silence Mountain fares, and what moves the Xu Jie is doing…" hidden worries resurfaced in his mind. The runes at the bottom of the Demon Abyss and the awakened will of the Star‑Fall Valley both foreshadow a greater storm brewing.

He rose to his full height and stepped out of the cave. His form merged with heaven and earth, his mastery of Space Power becoming even more transcendent, as if he himself had become part of the Silence Extinction law, traversing the void like a fish in water.

He did not head straight to the final destination, but chose to return to Ten Thousand Silence Mountain first. On one hand to check the condition of the Eye of Silence, on the other to see whether, with his current state and Ten Thousand Silence Source Qi, he could aid the ancient well, perhaps gaining a deeper understanding of its nature.

When he once again pierced the Silence Extinction mist and set foot on the realm of Ten Thousand Silence Mountain, the scene before him made his gaze harden.

The ancient well remained, its vortex still turning, but its light seemed a few shades dimmer than when he left, clearly indicating that over the past three years the Eye of Silence has continued to drain, resisting the invisible pressure of the Xu Jie beyond the boundary. The guardian elder's aura grew even weaker, almost indistinguishable from stubborn stone, as if the next Silence Extinction cycle would cause him to dissolve.

However, what concerned Han Wuxian even more was that around the ancient well he sensed an extremely subtle Xu Jie aura, sharing the same origin as the ancient runes at the bottom of the Demon Abyss but purer and closer to the source! This aura was like the finest dust, permeating the Silence Extinction Dao Rhythm; unless he had refined Xu Jie's origin, his sensitivity to it would make it virtually undetectable.

"Has the infiltration reached this degree?" Han Wuxian felt heaviness in his heart. This shows that the Xu Jie's corrosion is pervasive; even with the Eye of Silence blocking, its force still slowly permeates this realm's laws.

He walked to the ancient well, bowed deeply to the elder and said, "Senior, I have returned."

The elder gave no response.

Han Wuxian said no more, circulated the Ten Thousand Silence Source Qi within, a strand of chaotic gray energy slowly flowing toward the well's vortex.

This time, the effect was completely different!

"Buzz!"

The well's vortex seemed to receive the most primal supplement, emitting a joyous buzz, its rotation speed suddenly spiking, the dim light brightening and solidifying at a visible rate! Moreover, the extremely subtle Xu Jie aura that permeated the surroundings, upon touching the Ten Thousand Silence Source Qi, acted as if meeting its nemesis, being quietly smoothed and purified, reverting to basic law particles and merging into the Silence Extinction Dao Rhythm!

"Ten Thousand Silence Source Qi can directly purify the Xu Jie's corrosion!"

However, just as the well's vortex was replenished and its light blazed…

"Crack!"

A sound extremely faint yet clear, a cracking noise, pierced deep into Han Wuxian's soul and abruptly rang out!

The source of the sound was neither the well nor the elder, but… from Han Wuxian's own newly formed Dao Foundation, from that "Ten Thousand Silence Landscape" within his Sea of Awareness!

In that dynamic balanced picture, the region representing the Eye of Silence's power suddenly flared, seemingly over‑active from the primal supplement, instantly breaking the delicate balance with other Silence Extinction forces (especially that thread of Xu Jie origin)!

The entire "Ten Thousand Silence Landscape" quaked violently, the stellar rivers accelerated, the Silent region expanded, the Devour vortex twisted! The underlying chaotic void also began to show unstable ripples!

"Bad!" Han Wuxian's complexion changed, and he immediately cut off the Ten Thousand Silence Source Qi flow, devoting all effort to stabilizing his own Dao Foundation.

He did not expect that his attempt to help, due to the sudden boost in power attributes and subtle incompatibility, would instead trigger a hidden flaw in his Dao Foundation! Though the "Foundation of Ten Thousand Silence" had formed, it was far from truly seamless and capable of mastering Ten Thousand Silence. The balance among different primal forces was extremely fragile.

The well's vortex stabilized at a stronger state, but Han Wuxian let out a low hum, a strand of gray blood spilling from his mouth corner, his soul feeling a needle‑like sting; on his newly formed Dao Foundation, a hair‑thin crack had appeared!

Although he instantly held it with immense willpower, preventing it from widening, it was undeniably a warning.

His Dao is still imperfect. Forcibly merging multiple high‑tier Silence Extinction origins granted great power but also sowed a massive hidden danger. If he cannot find a way to truly command Ten Thousand Silence and make it seamless as one, he may face Dao Foundation collapse even without external foes.

And the place that could resolve this hidden danger, or provide the crucial opportunity…

Han Wuxian lifted his head, his gaze seeming to pierce the endless void, looking toward the legendary endless Sea Eye that buries the unwillingly slumbering ancient god's Silence.

Only there might hold the ultimate answer that can truly perfect his "Foundation of Ten Thousand Silence" and achieve completeness.

He glanced at the elder, whose aura seemed slightly improved after the supplementation, bowed deeply once more, turned, and stepped into the mist with firm strides.